Role of Polylimonene as a Bio‐Based Additive in Thermal Oxidation of High Impact Polystyrene. Issue 1 (30th October 2013) - Andriotis, Eleftherios G.
Summary: D‐limonene, a naturally occurring product, was cationically polymerized in a reactor to form the bio‐based polylimonene. The polymerization products were used for the preparation of blends with a food‐contact polymer, High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS). Their thermal oxidation was further monitored by measuring the absorption of characteristic chemical groups using FTIR spectroscopy. The mechanism of polymer protection was investigated using generalized 2‐Dimensional Correlation Analysis. It was found that polylimonene functions as a mild antioxidant for HIPS since it is oxidized first, leading to a short term protection of the polymer.